Eric Fincher, staff writer

RATON — Although local village elections are over, the political season is still in full swing with a number of primary elections set for Tuesday, June 3.
Voters will begin the process of choosing a county commissioner, the county clerk and county treasurer. Voters must wait until Tuesday, May 6, when absentee voting begins, before they can cast their ballots.
“Candidates had until Tuesday, March 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to file the proper documentation. After that it’s too late,” Rayetta Trujillo, Colfax County clerk, said. “Candidates will have to declare whether or not they are on the Republican or Democratic ticket. Whoever wins in the primary will then be the candidate in the general election Tuesday, November 4.”
Trujillo, an incumbent whose seat is up for re-election, is vowing to get an early start on her campaign.
“I’m running on the Democratic ticket as before,” Trujillo said. “I’ve enjoyed serving the people of Colfax County and I hope they will re-elect me so I can continue my service.”
She has been an employee of the Colfax Clerk’s office since April 2003 as the chief deputy clerk. Originally from Cimarron, she has worked in municipal government since 1989 and has also worked as Colfax County assistant county manager. According to Trujillo, there are no hard-pressing issues on the ballot at this time.
Colfax County Commis-sioner Bill Conley’s (R) seat is also up for re-election. He was elected as a Colfax County Commissioner November 2004, and took office Jan. 1, 2005 for a four-year term. Conley is a native New Mexican, born and raised in Albuquerque. Conley has a long history of civic involvement in the state, and membership in several organizations in Colfax County. He was elected and serves as secretary/treasurer for South Central Colfax County Special Hospital District Board. Conley also served as president of the Angel Fire Home and Land Owners, Inc., chairman of the Colfax County Republican Party, secretary of the Vietnam Veterans National Memorial Board, director and charter member of Angel Fire Rotary and secretary and president of Angel Fire Search and Rescue.
County Treasurer Lydia Garcia (D) has served residents of Colfax County for over three years. She has enjoyed serving the citizens of Colfax County as the County Treasurer and would like to be re-elected. Garcia has a total of fifteen years of service in local government.
“An accomplishment in which I take a lot of pride was the hiring of a ‘mobile home clerk’ to collect delinquent property taxes on mobile homes,” Garcia said. “A large number of which were over ten-years past due.”
Garcia wants voters to look at her track record as Colfax County Treasurer by highlighting changes the treasurer’s office has seen.
“The office has been renovated and upgraded to better serve the public,” Garcia said. “We’ve gotten new computers, software and workstations for our employees.”
If re-elected, Garcia wants to have a debit/credit card service installed as a convenient alternative for the payment of property taxes.
“Citizens from all over the county have requested this service,” Garcia said. “One proposal has already been submitted to the county commission. I am currently soliciting other proposals.”
The incumbents, however, aren’t without opposition. Adella Lucero-Garcia (D), an employee of Raton Natural Gas, is also running for treasurer, while Conley is being challenged by Richard Cordova (D), who is currently in his third year of serving as a village councilor for Eagle Nest, and Tony King, who has been a Springer council member for 10 years (D).
King says he wants to bring respect back to the county commission.
“I just feel the commission is not respected in the county and I’d like to change that,” King said. “I ran against Conley back in 2004 and lost by 150 votes.”
King vows to move the county forward. Having worked in the government since 1994, King feels he is a good fit for the people of Colfax County and the commission.
“I have lots of good contacts in Santa Fe and with the governor’s office,” King said. “I get up to Angel Fire and Eagle Nest quite often, I feel I would be a good representation for the county.”
All three incumbents were elected to office in 2004. If re-elected, they will not be able to run again in 2012 when their terms expire. According to the law, those elected to these positions can only serve two consecutive four-year terms, like the President of the United States. However, a person who has served two consecutive terms can run for a position again if they have vacated the position for a term.
Trujillo is currently the only candidate for county clerk.

Also on the ballot...
The Tuesday, June 3 primary ballot will also ask Democrat and Republican voters to choose their candidates for other positions on the November 4 General Election ballot. When only one candidate is listed below as either a Democrat or Republican, that person is running uncontested.
For example, Democrat Tom Udall is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, while the voting on June 3 will remove either Heather Wilson or Stevan Pearce from contention, with the other representing the Republican Party on the November 4 ballot.
In several of the contests no one has filed to run as a Republican.

United States Senate
Democrat Tom Udall, Republicans Heather Wilson and Stevan E. Pearce
U.S. House of Representatives, District 3
Democrats Ben R. Lujan, Don Wiviott, Benny J. Shendo Jr., Harry B. Montoya, Jon Adams and Rudy Martin; Republicans Marco E. Gonzales and Daniel K. East.

Supreme Court Justice
Democrat Charles W. Daniels

Judge, Court of Appeals
Democrat Ira Robinson

Public Regulation Commission, District 3
Democrats Bruce Throne, Jerome D. Block Jr., Joseph M. Maestas, Louis E. Gallegos, Paul D. Campos, Arthur H. Rodarte

State Senate, District 7
Democrat Thomas Jeffrey Carr, Republican Clinton D. Harden, Jr.

State Representative
Democrats Bengi Regensberg and Thomas A. Garcia; Republican Sylvia Olson

District Attorney, 8th District
Democrats Donald Gallegos, Carlos A. Gutierrez, Jeff Shannon